The "D" word

It's February and that means the month of "D" words comes to pass like the Ides of an ill wind. Words like Depressed, Droll, Dank, Deflated, Dark, Daunting... oh, man, could I go on. In sentences they sound less Dire. (Or maybe not...)

Even on Prozac I am Depressed, how Droll is that? With the days so gray and Dark and the weather not wintery chill, but Dankly Damp, I feel Deflated, Defeated and Dare I say, Despairing? But that is February for me. I remember noting some February's that tempers fray at the snap of a finger, kids mouth-off more, Detention Doubles and newspapers carry more stories of stabbings, literal, or just the plain old stabs in the back. Futility seems to be the sluggish (v/s running) theme. Deficit, Economic Decline, Debates... (I would feel less "D" overall if there were less Debates this month!!)

But spring, though not in a certain Pennsylvania groundhog's line of sight and certainly not nearly 'sprung', is in the offing. If we can gather around the hurrah's of more optimistic "D" words, like Dawn, Defiant, Determined, Dapper, Decided and Delirious (...which could go on either list, I guess) we shall prevail. Because Dawn's with sunshine Daily are on the horizon, making me feel a little more Dapper and Determined about Deciding to Defiantly survive another February. And if we get some real winter, I will Deliriously pursue Dancing Dervishes in powder snow with Jack Frost nipping at my nose (which he didn't do at Christmas, being on sabbatical.)

So here's to putting a big X through the month of February, except for Valentine's Day (wait, I don't recall a single one fulfilling my Deepest Desires, Depressing in itself) and Valentine's Day really only has the color red, balloons and candy going for it.

Wait, I'm feeling less Depressed... only four Days of Demoralized wallowing until I can Devour chocolate without Detriment to my Diet! Now I'm Delighted.

S-N-O-W!

Piling up like nature intended, we are finally surrounded by white, perfect snow. There is a winter! I often reflect... and sympathize with the meteorologists who work on our local television stations. The poor sods get it wrong so often, and yeah, we see the map laid out in scientific grids, high pressure, low pressure, which is predominate, colored radar splashes. It is a science, I get that. But Ma Nature is gonna do Her thing, which is the essential fact, science be danged. But are we paying attention? Does everyone understand that the temperature of the ocean directly affects the weather? OUR weather! I watched the Disney movie "Oceans" the other day while I knit wool socks. The cinematography is mind blowing! That mysterious underwater universe is one we've barely explored, hardly understand. Us Inlanders think nothing of the ocean in our daily mind-meanderings. We should.

And so surrounded by snow today, falling, drifting, fluffing doves, finches and chickadees to unusual proportions, I'm thinking of orcas and dolphins and humpbacked whales singing. They're the cousins I long to meet, breathing the air I breath. And when the snow melts, runs into the creeks and rivers and finally the amazing ocean... it's the same H2O molecules collecting on the shaggy birch tree outside my window! How cool is that?!

A New Year... really?

I used to look forward to the clean, fresh slate of a new year. But lately days from the year before look much like the days to come. In reading The Social Animal by the great David Brooks (I mean what is there not to love about this brilliant, unassuming man!) I'm understanding that the human brain and our selves as individuals crave constant stimuli. Not just to form and reform new synapses but because our nature demands change. Which is probably why we can be revved up to high rage so easily by anyone's rant against government, banks, Europe, inhumanity to man, why we aren't sending rockets into space anymore... yeah, one can add just about anything to the list!! But our essence, as humans, as animals, is designed to take in input at astounding rates, according to scientists Brooks sites in his book. And our senses will reach out and snatch whatever data is out there.

So... in trying to create a New Year that does not meld into the last or the next, I am making it important to open my senses to the events, factoids and daily input of info around me that will carry positive, unique, imaginative and progressive stimuli to my amazing brain. After all, taking the cosmic view, today is less than a millisecond of time. A raging rant, a depressing doubt, an epiphanic event are so very fleeting. Yet they leave their mark on who one is at any miniscule moment in time. So turn your face with me to whatever is your current glowing, glorious sunspot; a child, a project, a date, a meal with loved ones, a conversation, an emotion... and never forget it will ink-blot you forever, for better or for worse. Happy 2012 to all.

And read "The Social Animal" by David Brooks. His words will reroute your synapses in aspiring, reaffirming and reassuring ways. I swear!

Christmas is for kids!

Kris Kringle originally walked the German countryside ringing a bell and passing out gifts, candies and cakes to the children. So, in honor of kids and good old St. Nicholas, give yourself the best gift ever. Tear the wrapping paper off your impish spirit because at Christmas you have permission to be a child!

Here's a few hints to get you started:

1. Start wetting the bed.
2. Steal mistletoe because people kissing is so gross!
3. Put tinfoil on your teeth and pretend you have braces.
4. Ask Santa for a pony.
5. Sing the "batman and robin" version of Jingle Bells until 
     your family goes crazy.
6. Suck the end of your candy canes to a point.
7. Make a wreath out of egg cartons and paint it with
     tempera paints.
8. Wear your hair in pigtails and sit on Santa's lap.
9. Start a snow ball fight.
10. Sneak a peak at a present under the tree, then rewrap it 
     so no one knows.
11. Watch "A Muppet Christmas Carol" and sing along.
12. At parties introduce yourself as Cindy Lou from Whoville.
13. Write a letter to Santa and send it.
14. Wear bells on your shoes.
15. Listen to "Twas the Night Before Christmas" backwards,
       you can hear the phrase 'Paul is dead'!
16. Outline the toilet in twinkle lights.
17. Make Froot Loop necklaces for everyone you love.
18. Put glitter on EVERYTHING!

A bit of Bailey's...

I used to love winter, growing up a skier and all. Not so much the older I get. I actually feel for the birds at my feeders, the horses hunched against the wind, cows all laying in a cluster to gather whatever body warmth from each other they can. And Christmas... I love making everyone I love gifts I hope they will love! Nothing like putting the pressure on 'cause I never start making this stuff in July when I need to to get all I want to get done, done! But today, I'm loving the sun. It's not even twenty degrees out, the fire's burning almost constantly since I refuse to shut the shades and keep the heat in 'cause the sun's out! When I go for a walk  this afternoon, I'll smile at the crunch of ice under my cleats, hope I don't fall and break a hip and turn my face to the sun that shines with as much warmth as Antarctic ice. But so what?  It's winter, we have it seven months a year! So I'll suck down a bit more Bailey's Irish Cream in my coffee and wrap up in an afghan when I come traipsing in from the cold. And sneeze and sniffle and thank the powers that be for a bit of sunshine and imaginary warmth on the fluffed birds and huddled farm animals. And froze-to-the-boney old me! 

Out-sourced!

We have Ringed Turtle Doves living around Stevensville now. For the last few years, actually, since they were released at some wedding nearby. They are California birds, city park birds, definitely not native to our environment. Or our predators. And yet year after year I feed them, look for them daily, feel giddy when a few pair up and hatch babies on our place. But, they have become a favorite food source of one particular Cooper's Hawk and a couple of Sharp Shins who swing by our house periodically. And these guys are crafty. They try to fly my gorgeous, cooing pretty's into our windows. It is survival of the fittest. The poor doves are fair game to birds, cats, foxes, any predator who will take what they can catch and the easier meal the better. I love my doves and go out to yell at a hawk or cat at any opportunity. Makes me feel better even though I know the poor doves are now an outsourced food source!!

winter confusion

We truly live in a magical valley. Amazing events happen regularly when wild nature is out your window, along the road you drive to the grocery store or walking along a river. Driving today, on roads truly treacherous, we looked up into a glowering sky and saw a flock of thousands of snow geese milling about in confusion. The clouds were low, light snow was falling. The geese had obviously been heading south trying to make it over Lost Trail Pass and been forced to turn back by the storm. Glancing around, we saw more flocks, farther away, swirling flecks against the sky that looked like rippling waves on gray water. We drove to the Lee Metcalf  Refuge and stopped directly under the biggest flock, looked up at their white bellies, wings tipped in black and listened to the cacophony of sound, like a symphony of oboes! Wondrous, soaring sounds as these snow geese communicated obviously mixed messages until the flock finally gathered enough to all head north.  We lost them low over a field a mile or so away. There is still open water at the refuge and thirteen swans have settled there to wait out the storm along with hundreds of ducks. The swans were gorgeous of course, until they went bottoms up to feed. Then they looked like mini-icebergs! Anyway, we were lucky enough to witness a migration miracle. By tomorrow when the storm lifts, I imagine thousands and thousands of snow geese filling the skies above Stevensville, Corvallis and Hamilton down the valley over Darby and Sula as they wing their way to the open grasslands of Idaho where they'll pig out and prepare for the next "leg" of their journey south.